Paris Kyne in 2010

2010 started with the annual Polly/Tasmania in store appearances and parties. Also in February the call came through from the City of Melbourne, to request new crowns for the King Molly Meldrum and Queen Kate Cebrano of Moomba. Moomba is Australia’s largest free community festival and it celebrates the city’s people, its culture and its characters. A quote from the City of Melbourne’s media release “Both crowns were originally to be made in silver, but at the last minute we all got together for a design meeting and went for gold instead. Although these two pieces were designed for Kate and Molly specifically, I also know they will be worn by the new monarchs for the next few years, so I had to also take this into consideration with the designs. The inspiration was they (Molly’s people) wanted a crown to go on one of his Mountcastle hats, so that is what I made. I loved this idea, as Molly’s hat is his trademark, so altering it was fun. Then I made a matching tiara for Kate, I know Kate loves big hair (don’t we all), so I designed the work around that. This job has made me very proud, as both Molly and Kate are lovely people who I admire. Also, past Kings have included others I admire greatly like Frank Thring and Graeme Kennedy.” They were worn at the press call and in the street parade on the 8th of March.

The City of Sale staged its first Wearable Arts Festival in 2010; and as I grew up in Sale, it was only to be expected that I would attend. Of the three workshops that formed a part of the festival, two were taught by me. “It was so good to go home, to be able to run around the lake early in the morning, and then to give a workshop in the afternoon. Also the press down there; The Gippy Times, ABC FM and Milk Magazine have all done stories on me, the homecoming queen.”

The exhibition for this year celebrated the elements of design and staged at the stunning Melbourne’s GPO. The five elements were all represented each with a separate hat; except silhouette; which had three hats, each one representing a different type of silhouette. Each hat had the block next to it that it had been made on, thus further helping to explain how couture millinery is constructed.

It was now time to start preparations for the big move into town. I had always wished to operate my business from the C.B.D. but had to wait till the city was alive again and ready for me. As the lease was up in Toorak, it was time to make a move. In readiness for this a huge cull of the wooden hat block collection was called for and executed, with 220 blocks identified to be sold off. “My skill is now at a level, that with a little hand moulding or double blocking I can create more out of less.” There is no need to move equipment that we never use.

The year finished off with a three week Europe trip. Firstly; Rome to view the collections or marble at both the Villa Borghese and the Capital Museum and to start a photographic study of European drain pipes. Next stop; London; for work purchases and see Penelope Keith in “The Rivals” then off to Paris to finally see a production at the Opera Gardiner and “Mozart l’Opera Rock” at the Palais de Sports, a huge aluminium domed stadium that is used for contempory operas and boxing....